How to get through the H1N1 shots

Today we went in for the H1N1 shot. As a mother of four, there are a couple techniques that I've learned to survive the shot process.
1. Don't bring daddy :) He doesn't like seeing the kids suffer or be in pain. He will be the one who stays up all night watching a sick kid to make sure they are breathing. However, getting shots is just very difficult for him.
2. Have a game-plan, don't talk too much about it... but inform as needed.
3. Bring treats for right after the shot to distract them. This works especially well for the 1-3 yr old range who will completely forget that they just were crying once that chocolate hits their tongue.
4. Get it over with!!!! No sense in spending time and energy delaying the process. It's all about the assembly line. Pick one... help hold them down, make them look away... give them a treat. Move on to the next. The older ones will already be freaking out once they've seen the others cry. So, the faster the process, the less time they have to dread it.
5. Bring a bucket for the one that always throws up when she has a shot. [I forgot this... now I'm bringing one!]

It was successful, we all survived.
When we were done, the nurse thanked me and told me that I was extremely helpful. She thanked me over and over because I made the whole process go so much easier. We were in and out in 5 minutes... 4 children... 5 minutes. Yes, that's what's called assembly line style! No wasting time. I can hold their hands and sympathize while we're walking into the elevator. However, when the next kid is waiting for their turn and every moment the dread is pushing down on their little minds, there is no time to waste. So, the candy works pretty well and I simply move on, knowing that I can attend to all their needs once we're all done.

Sophia told me that I need to get a flu shot too... I think it's sort of her way of asking that I feel her pain and/or some sort of pay-back. I agreed that I would as soon as they let me.

How to manage it all?

I have to say, the last week has been crazy. Sickness flew through for a bit and then I became consumed with school. I've seriously got to get a feasible schedule worked out so that I can manage everything I have to do.
Sometimes I simply feel all tapped out... *sigh*

Little Girl's Secret Garden

Today was one of those days where mother's brilliance somehow manifests itself in a small but excellent idea that catches on wonderfully. We are in the midst of reading The Secret Garden and the kids have been overjoyed with the excitement of gardening and a garden revealing its secrets over time. In addition, I have about 15 gardens and not enough time to tend to all of them properly. So... here is where the brilliant ideas comes in.
I told the girls that they could each have a garden. The rules were that they had to prepare it for winter, plant their flowers in the spring, water it, weed it, and maintain it however is necessary. My thought was not only would this take some responsibility off of my shoulders in the gardening department, but they also would learn responsibility and excellent life-science knowledge. As they watch their hard work bloom before their eyes, they can look up the plants, learn about tending each one, and watch the beauty that they've created. What a great way to learn!
In addition, I told them that if they wanted to, they could save up some money and buy whatever plants/flowers that they wanted for their little plot. So, soon the girls were discussing varieties of flowers that they'd like to plant and making plans for their gardens. They discussed how much money each had in her treasure box and how much they thought it would cost to purchase plants. After giving them their choices, Sophia and Jack ended up with a little 3 sq ft plot that is below the mailboxes. After much discussion, Cecelia and Bella decided that they wanted to work on the same plot together. They picked the sunniest garden on the lot and began to work. They raked and weeded... raked and weeded.... for hours upon hours.
They asked if they could purchase some spring bulbs and I agreed. So, I gave them some more raking work that I would pay them for... so that they could earn some money for the bulbs. They worked for possibly 5 hours today out in the yard. They are tired, sore... and completely overjoyed with their new project.
I'm blessed at their persistence and excited to see what their imaginations will come up with.

Child Insomniacs read Encyclopedias

4:00 AM

*thump, thump, thump... giggle... laugh*
*thump, thump... giggle... giggle*

[my husband nudges me]

(sigh)

Pulling myself out of bed, I walk out of the bedroom and note that Sophia and Jack are playing in his room. Their eyes filled with excitement look at me innocently and Jack exclaims: "mom, we playin'"
"Guys it's the middle of the night. You need to be in bed!"
Sophia chimes in: "Mom, it's like the morning. I am wide awake, mom. It's just dark outside. I think it's the morning."
Jack's ever-so-helpful negotiation tactic: "Mom, I found my spiderman sunglasses. They was in my room. They cool. Look mom." *putting on his glasses*
(Note: he's good at the redirect and distract negotiations, and my husband informs me that I too use this. So, I can't blame Jack because if I use it, then it might be something he learned from me.)
I notice that not only do they have mounds of blankets in their room, but 3 huge encyclopedias (B, J-K, and the Index) that they must have been pouring over. Who does this! Who wakes up in the middle of the night to read encyclopedias and marvel at sunglasses?!
"No, Sophia and Jack it is 4am, you need to be in bed. This is not morning-time. This is the middle of the night and you need to be in bed."
Sophia looks at me with exasperation as if I certainly do not understand that it really is morning! Of course, she cannot read the clock, so she has no further argument.
"Sophia, you need to get in your bed and Jack you need to go to sleep."
Jack persists: "Mom, LOOK at these cool sunglasses. I found them in my room. I look like Spiderman. LOOK mom."
"Yes, Jack I am glad you found your sunglasses. Now go to sleep."
He frowns and grabs his blankie.
Sophia makes a show of how much I am putting her out and explains that she has her blankets and her babies in Jack's room. (This only means that she's been up for awhile because she had the time to bring all her blankets down and all 4 babydolls with their blankies and bedding.) She complains: "but MOM! I have to bring ALL my stuff back into my room!!!"
I grab her blankets and she starts bringing the baby parade back upstairs to her room. Her disappointment magnified in each trudging foot step. After several trips due to the volume of things she had brought down to Jack's room, she is finally tucked in bed and her light turned off.
As I stumble back to bed, I simply hope they fall asleep. This morning, I was informed that my husband had gotten up with me and stayed up to ensure that Sophia stayed in her room. So, he was up at 4am and I got to sleep in till 7am. lol oops!

Ahhh Life

I've been in a particularily nostalgic mood lately. I'm not sure why this has come upon me now, but it might be because Jack is now potty trained. My mind springs to so many events in my life that have formed and shaped who I am today. Then, the thoughts turn toward the future. What a wonderful adventure life has become. I'm blessed to have children who are moving on from babyhood into childhood with ease. They all are learning and growing...
I'm excited to move into this new phase of life where I am no longer worrying about the necessaries of babyhood, but simply enjoying the excitement and passion of learning with each personality.
What a joy to embrace these moments and stand tall in my accomplishment. They all survived being babies and now we move into different challenges. I know their childhood will not last forever, but I'm blessed to hold their hand as they explore the world with active imaginations.

payback

This morning, we had a comical conversation with our 4 year old, Sophia. She is wearing a bright pink fluffy dress and holding her baby Mia with a little toy phone.

My husband and I were sitting together drinking coffee...

"Mom, Dad.... be quiet, I'm going to make a phone call."
My husband and I smiled mischievously and said: "We will be as quiet as you are when we are on the phone." *smile*
She takes her phone and starts pounding on the keys, certainly dialing some 20+ numbers for good measure. She places the phone to her ear and says: "Hi, how are you today?"
My husband and I interrupt.
"SOPHIA!!! SOPHIA, SOPHIA, SOPHIA, SOPHIA...CAN I GET A DRINK. SOPHIA I NEED YOU. SOPHIA CAN I HAVE A TREAT. JACK TOUCHED ME SOPHIA, HE'S BOTHERIN' ME. SOPHIA.... SOOOOPHIIIIIIAAAAA!"
She frowned and said: "guys stop hollerin' I'm trying to make a phone call!"

lol
I don't think she got it, but it was funny :)

Team Drama

I cringe as I think about what has happened this week... but I have to relate this story to simply get it off my chest.
This week in school we were assigned to learning teams. We are supposed to complete a final project together and this week our goals were to complete a form that outlined how we were going to attack the final paper. I signed up to lead the team this week. It was a little like jumping off a cliff... I struggled with the fact that we not only did not know each other, but also were expected to come together to form a cohesive plan.
I worked out a time-line for the team's assignment and posted this for everyone to see. Note: there are 5 people in our team. I heard back from 2 of my peers and we decided to meet on Wednesday evening. After not hearing from everyone, I sent out an e-mail to all 5 explaining where we were at and expressing our desire to have a meeting. One woman responded with her regrets and explained that her schedule at work prohibited her ability to come to a meeting. So, I immediately e-mailed her back and tried to tie her down to a portion of the project. She agreed to this and I proceeded to enter her into our time-line and assign her jobs.
We had the meeting and got a little accomplished.
On Thursday, I wrote out all the rest of the answers based off of the discussion and made a good portion of it up.
I had clearly indicated both online in our classroom and through e-mail correspondence that each team member was supposed to enter their portion of the assignment online by Thursday. Well, Thursday comes and goes and we have heard nothing from 2 team members and 3 of us have an almost complete assignment. I e-mailed the professor at this point and asked him what to do with one member of our team as he had not posted all week. My professor told me to simply leave him out as he thought classmate would be dropping the class. So, now we were down to 4.
I e-mailed the lady who said she had a horrendous week and reminded her of the portion of the charter that she was supposed to have given to the team by Thursday.
Saturday, the professor asked us to post a rough draft so that he could offer his feedback. I e-mailed and called the woman who had been missing. I told her that she had by 5pm to post her content. Then, 5 o'clock came and she had not posted anything.
I e-mailed the professor again asking him what to do. He told me to eliminate her from the time-line and simply assume that we only have 3 people. So, I redid the assignment and rearranged the responsibilities to reflect her absence.
Then, in the middle of the night on Saturday (5 hours after that 5pm deadline), both of the other team members show up. One posts: "hey... um... what am I supposed to do?" The other posts on an old thread her portion of the charter.
So, Sunday morning I'm saddled with a decision. Do I add her back in? Will this be a pattern for her? Will we always be trying to track her down? Do I play the bad guy and effectively eliminate her from the team?
After hours agonizing over this decision, I decide she is not worth our time. We tried, I communicated, I accommodated, and I did speak to the professor. We have 3 people who have actively participated...
Then, we have a team meeting on Sunday evening at 7:30pm. We start our meeting with the 3 people and begin to finalize everything. Then, this woman pops in... I was stunned. As I looked at her name on my screen, my heart started to pump out of my chest. I was the team leader. I had to say something. My fingers froze to the key-board. How do I professionally handle this?
After all, this is 30% of our grade!
I told her to contact the professor. *sigh*
It was so hard.
She kept posting in the other forums about how teams need to be clear with their expectations. How they need to give 24 hour notice. The fact is, I did give her more than 24 hour notice. I bent over backward to accommodate her schedule. I received nothing from her. So, at this point it's too late.
I hope the professor can back up our team's decision and let us simply move on without her.
What a rough week. What an awkward position I was put in!

I love socks

There is nothing so enjoyable than pulling on new socks and running along hard-wood floors. My kids delighted in this little joy today. After the early-morning "I have no SOCKS" freak outs, I decided today I would buy everyone new socks.
So, today at Target, we made a bee-line for the socks. The kids each got a multi-pack of white socks and were excited as we payed for the socks and went home.
As soon as we were home, the kids ripped open their packages and tried them on. Soon, they were sliding across the floors "trying them out".
What fun!
Seriously, is there anything so wonderful as fresh new socks?

Do I not play well with others?

I have learned so much about myself this week. I re-entered college at the University of Phoenix and again am straddling papers and discussion questions, however what has really thrown me for a loop is a group project that is going to be a regular fixture in all my classes.
It's not that I don't "play well with others" or even that I can't collaborate. It's that I am very disciplined, I am a major communicator, and I like to see progress.
Our teams were assigned on Sunday evening and we were all supposed to check in and leave our contact information. This took about 2 days for everyone to do...
We are supposed to create a game-plan for our final project and outline each individuals duties. So, as I waited and waited for someone to take the lead, my anxiety increased. Finally, I decided to take the role of team-leader this week and force the issue. After hearing about people's availability, I scheduled a team meeting this evening and have not heard from everyone. I still have 2 people who have not so much as acknowledged that we are having a meeting.
*sigh*
I swear, I'm not trying to be controlling or pushy, but seriously- I CARE about my grades. I don't want to sacrifice my excellent record because others are not checking into class often enough.
To be fair, I have heard from 2 classmates and one of which I have spoken on the phone with a number of times. So at least I feel like I'm not alone.
Alas, here I sit... after spending about 3 hours creating a game plan for the final project.. wondering if anyone will sign up for duties. I offered to write the rough draft (as I know that I can create quality work on a time-table and it might not even need that much editing). Another classmate mentioned they are good at editing and I simply assigned them the final week as team leader and told them that they could edit the paper.
Unfortunately, we have lots of research to do and right now I am wondering if there will be enough classmates available to pitch in.
I'm trying really hard not to be controlling, but I seriously can't handle the stress. Once I get into my marketing courses (the next 5 courses), I am going to be proactive in finding people who are excellent at school. This might seem completely weird, but we can request team-mates and we can try to get each other in subsequent classes. So, I'm determined to find a group of people who will take the bull by the horns and communicate to an excess.
I need to relax... it's totally stressful this week. If I can figure out how to handle these team assignments, I will do well in school. It's just the fact that I have to rely on others and trust that they too want this as bad as I do.
So... my question: do I not play well with others?

Art Teacher???

Yesterday afternoon I had about 45 minutes to spare while I waited for my daughters to get out of girl scouts, so I figured Walmart was my best bet. After all, I needed to purchase coffee and it was blocks from the school. As I rounded the corner of the Walmart, another shop caught my attention.
It said something about coffee and art... and I figured since I had time, I might as well check it out.
As I walked into the store with Jack and Sophia, I was greeted by a fully-stocked coffee bar. Then, as I looked around, there was an eclectic mix of artwork ranging from wall art to ceramics to jewelry... etc. It was beautiful. I started talking to the owner and asking her questions about the store. Meanwhile, Jack and Sophia started looking at everything which was a little unnerving. We started talking about artwork and how hard it is to sell in this economy. I told her I was an artist and she said: "like, you are a working artist?" I smiled and thought about that statement. Although I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a working artist per-se. I have made money at it and have been featured at local coffee shops. So, does that make me working? I doubt that many artists can claim to be paying the bills solely on their art. The money in art is firmly planted in movies, advertising, marketing, and a small line of commercially available art pieces like Kinkaide (things that people want to put on their walls). Although I would venture that my artwork would also do well on many people's walls, I don't make a lot of money at my craft.
I answered her by telling her about my previous art shows and explaining that I do commissions, so yes I make money... sorta... sometimes...
She inquired about what type of art I did and I told her "watercolor and paper mache". I explained how my paper mache is a little different and suddenly she was quite interested. She asked if I had a website and I told her that I didn't, but everything was posted on facebook. So, she brought me over to her computer and I dialed in my account so that she could see my photo albums.
She asked if I could teach a class. They do art classes for the general public and she would pay me half the fee + materials (I have to figure out how much they cost). I explained my process and we figured that 2, 2 hour classes would do fine on different weeks. So, the class itself would be about $48 + materials. She told me to figure out how many people need to be signed up in order to make it worth my time.
I left the little shop with a post-it filled with details I need to figure out and information I need to gather.
*sigh*
It was a big boost, but now the work begins. It's so hard to figure out exactly how much my materials per person will cost. Sometime in November I will do this class, but I have so much work to do prior to actually committing to this project.
I'm all unsure of myself today and feeling inadequate.
I need to get a handle on this! Confidence in the midst of an ego boost seems to be my most difficult thing. I tend to fly high and then fall down to the "I'm not good enoughs" without much time to enjoy it. *sigh*

Teaching a first child

My eldest daughter is definitely the type "A"/leader personality. As the eldest of two parents whose placement was the same, we assumed that Cecelia would tend toward this personality. After all, she is our daughter, right?
Well one problem with first children is the fact that they often assume responsibilities that are not ours to worry about. I remember tattling to my mother about something my brother had done wrong. Mom would tell me that she could be the mom and I could let her catch my brother doing something wrong without my vigilance. In my head, I responded to her: "but you DON'T catch him doing something wrong. There are times where you miss something. I am just trying to help."
Alas, it is with this logic that many first children attempt to be their parent's little spy.
Of course, the logic is all wrong and the fact is that mothers don't need spys. There is a wisdom that mothers have about how often they need to attend to a specific problem. In addition, there are only so many rules that should be vigilantly held.
So... back to Cecelia...
She began coming home from school with a very familiar problem.
At first, it was within a couple days of beginning school. She slumped into the car and said: "I had a horrible day." Upon further inquiry, she indicated that someone had called her a liar. Of course, any parent would be upset and disturbed by this revelation. She told me that some kids were exchanging snacks and the teacher had a rule about how that was not ok. She told this group to stop because it was against the rule and they said "you are a liar".
So, the fact was, she was sticking her nose into another person's business. She felt it was her duty to right the wrongs and thus was seen as a rule thumber.
Then, another instance happened when a kid pushed her in line. She told the teacher and she was certain that the teacher did not address the issue to the kid.
Soon, I started seeing the pattern. She felt that her teacher was not catching every issue and wasn't responding when she tattled. Although I'm certain that the teacher did address every issue and that my daughter simply had not seen it, there are so many issues a teacher has to deal with.
So, we sat Cecelia down one morning to give her a new perspective. My husband explained how he struggled with the same feelings that she is now. He gave her a new idea. She was only supposed to be responsible for herself. She didn't need to worry about what other kids were doing or whether or not they followed the rules perfectly. She was not to tattle to the teacher unless there was blood or if someone was asking her to cheat. Her responsibility was to only focus on herself and how she followed the rules. We told her that there will be people who break rules. There will be times when a teacher cannot see it and/or when a teacher doesn't address things as we think they should. However, she has to not try to find those instances and when she does see them, she needs to not worry about it. She only needs to ensure that she is following the rules.
That day, she hopped into the car with a smile. I asked how her day went and instead of the typical gripe-list, she said: "great!!!!" I asked her how the new perspective was and she smiled at me. She said: "It's great mom. I only worried about myself and I didn't even see anyone do anything wrong. I didn't tattle all day." She immediately told me of all the fun things she did and all the new things she's learning. Instead of the long list of infractions that others were doing, she simply was happy.
I was so thrilled to see our idea work on her. Hopefully this will help her retain the friends that she has and help her to be happier.

Andrenaline Rush!

I am completely energized by school. I don't know how adding hours of work and mental strain on my day can somehow give me the andrenaline rush that propels me through the day, but it somehow does. These last 2 days have been amazing. I feel alive.
What energizes you???

My new logo

Here is what I've been working on for the last several evenings. This is now our new logo. What do you think?
It was so much fun to create something like this and pushed my creativity beyond the norm. I'm feeling particularily accomplished right now.
I don't have many days like this, but I not only finished the logo work... but
cleaned the entire house, did all the laundry, got all my assignments done for the entire week of school (this was the first day of classes), did homeschooling, baked a pumpkin pie with REAL pumpkins (never done that), roasted pumpkin seeds, and successfully got some extremely hard to get medication for my hubby.
I know, tomorrow I will get nothing done and my life will fall apart at the most random moment. However, today was a good day. I must enjoy it while it lasts because these days don't happen very often.
*cheers*

Creating a Logo

I'm in the midst of creating a logo for our company. It is turning out pretty good, but I need to rework it tonight in order to make it perfect. We want it to be ready for printing and I heard from a family member that for Christmas she'd like to create t-shirts with the logo for my husband. So, I want it to be easy to transfer to that application as well.
As I've worked on this art project, it's pushed me out of my comfort zone by using colored pencils. In addition, I'm not used to cartoon drawing, but it's been a fun adventure.
Hopefully it will all fall together and I will post a picture of it once it's all done.
Maybe I can major in Marketing and make a career of it. After all, with logo creations, marketing plans, marketing materials, brochures... etc, I will have many things to put into my portfolio. This excites me to see things falling into place.
Logos are especially difficult because this is what will brand a company. This picture will be what people associate with the business and ultimately it will bring in customers. Although there is pressure associated with it, I'm proud to say that it will be done with an attention to detail. What a blessing to have this opportunity.
*cheers* to new adventures

Note:

I figured out how to add an e-mail subscription to this blog. So, feel free to be an e-mail subscriber and receive each post.
Thanks all!

Excited for College

Tuesday I get back into the swing of college. It's been a fun summer off and I'm blessed to have had it. For the next two years, I will always have assignments and presentations to complete. The workload will increase and the mental stimulation might exhaust me. Alas, it is incredibly enjoyable to be in that environment. Of course, I also do love the excuse to sit down by the fire with a cup of coffee or a latte and read and write academically everyday. I guess that is simply one perk to going to college online.
I checked into my student website this morning to discover that my professor has finally been posted as well as the roster of students. I will be one of 17 people in my class and that seems somehow wonderful. The previous classes were between 25 and 30 people and this seems much more intimate.
Excited, expectant, joyous, scared, and jumbled... these are the emotions that fling through my mind with rapid-fire. It's like stepping off a precipice into the unknown, but having the faith that there will be someone to catch you. It will be a fun ride. I will learn so much.
Learning how to schedule myself an appropriate amount of time to complete excellent work (and thus receive excellent grades) was a challenge last time around. However, I worked it out and managed to do just that. After all, when you are paying so much to go to college, it seems stupid to squander the opportunity by doing everything sub-par.
*cheers* to new beginnings and new adventures

The Man

Jack found a little action figure of the Hulk. I'm not sure exactly where it came from, but it might have been some long-forgotten McDonalds toy. He has been carrying it around everywhere and calls it his "man".
Today at naptime, he started the negotiations:

"Mom, can my man take a nap with me too?"
"Sure"
"Just make sure that your man takes a nap. It's naptime"
*looking at his man and then grinning*
"He is not closing his eyes!"
"Silly man"
"He is naughty because he won't take a nap"

lol

Defense of Superior Projects

You slip into your child's classroom for the science or history presentation with all the other parents. As you sit in the back of the classroom on the folding chair, you note the children whose projects are far superior to your little joy. Instead of enjoying the presentation, those thoughts of "her parents did that" or "it's not fair- my child's doesn't look that good" or "what a crock" run through your head as you try to justify your involvement in the project. As your child stands at the front of the room with a little bit of trepidation and a quivering piece of paper, your heart goes out to the apple of your eye. The presentation is stalled when the words on the piece of paper don't come together into a sentence. The distraction of a classroom full of onlookers will cause them to studder and blush as they simply try to read through the couple sentences on their paper. The construction paper and glued project stands beside them and they too feel inadequate as they survey the offerings of their peers.
[This senario has been conveyed to me by many parents and I've heard this complaint on the radio and elsewhere, so I know that there are those out there that feel like this.]

I've heard so many parents complain about the over-involved helicopter parents that do everything for their child. I've heard of the architect families that construct a monstrous contraption that serves as their child's projects.
Yet, we are one of those families. This is in defense of how we do things.

First, we do not write or construct our child's project. Second, we try to teach our children to love learning and thus to find passion in what they do. Third, we give them time to prepare for the oral presentation so that they will easily read it aloud without any problems. Fourth, we firmly believe that if a child is proud of their work and proud of their presentation, this confidence will be conveyed. Fifth, the whole point of an at-home project is to allow the student to delve into learning with an on-hands approach.

Here is our approach:
As soon as my eldest comes home with a project (note this has more to do with her left-brained, list-making, first born personality than anything else), she is excited to delve in. She often walks off the bus with an idea already in mind and several follow up brainstorms for the assignment. That evening, I make her pull out the encyclopedias and she copies into her notepad the details she feels are important (she is only in 2nd grade now- so copying is as good as researching for her). As she reads, she might ask me about the details and/or seek clarification. Often, if I read it to her (off of the Internet), I will make her explain to me what each sentence means. This way, when she is gathering her information, I'm certain she has understood the content.
Then, the creative-portion of the project begins. Often we spend a couple days brainstorming and talking about materials she might use, elements she might include, and a whole host of hands-on research. For example, when she had an astronomy project last year, she came home with an idea in her head to create a paper mache moon. Daddy and her sat down and looked up paper mache and found a new way to do it. [Thus spurring on my recent artwork that are crafted from these paper mache ideas.]
Once she has a clear picture in her mind of what she wants, the next several days will be spent getting the materials and making it happen. Often she will do most of this herself. For example, for her latest dinosaur diorama (that we were informed of this afternoon), she has decided to make playdoh and use it as the base of her diorama. She will paint it and put foot prints in it from the dinosaur that she's chosen.
We will help her with anything that might be dangerous or simply need adult supervision, but for the most part- constructing her creation will take several days or weeks (depending on the length of time she has to create it).
Once it is completed, she will begin writing her paper/presentation. Often after weeks of talking about it, reading new things... and simply working with her hands on the project, she will have enough knowledge to sit down and write out what she wants to say. We will correct it for spelling errors and ask her to include sentences about any of the concepts that are necessary for her assignment. Often she will rewrite the project a couple times until it is neat and includes everything she needs. So, by this time she is solid on what she's written.
Then, for about 3-4 days before the presentation, she will practice it in front of us. She will stand tall, project and read her writings. She may present it to anyone else that might come to our house and this will give her a firm grasp on the concepts and the presentation portion of the project.

In summary, I'm defending our involvement. The next time you bemoan the fact that there is a child in your kid's class that has a superior project and as you assume has not actually done any of it. Consider the few of us that do care. We work for weeks to ensure that she will be proud of her project and have a firm grasp on the concepts. She thinks, brainstorms, writes, practices, and manages to pull off a great presentation. Remember that there are those of us that don't necessarily hand our kids a completed project and hope that they might glean some knowledge. We simply give them the tools to succeed.
Yes, I am an artist so I might have materials and/or ideas that others might not. However, giving her these tools is not necessarily bad.... it just helps her to think outside of the box and connect with her work in a different way.

I wonder if teachers see this... maybe not... maybe they too simply think that we do our kids' projects. *sigh*
Maybe it doesn't matter... our child has learned and will not soon forget all she's learned. That's the point. However, I've heard so many times the grumblings of other parents and I would like to set the record straight- for us at least.
Am I wrong to expect my child to put her best foot forward and strive for excellence?

Edit: upon further reflection, I want to state: we all do what's best for our children with the skills and time that we have. I have more time than money to enroll my children in extracurriculars. I tend to thrive in the learning environment and seek to pull the best out of my children. Consequently, I might defend the time we spend. In addition, I can appreciate parents that don't have the time that I might have to dedicate to these projects, so in no way am I stating there is a superior parenting at work in our home. However, I'm sick of hearing the complaints from parents who are simply frustrated that my kid worked hard and created a great presentation, without realizing the work that went into it. It's easy to judge others, but not so easy to see how the seemingly impossible can indeed become possible with time.

Classic Books

Over the last two years, I recommitted myself to reading for pleasure. I joined a book club and tried to keep on top of all the books as well as my schoolwork. Part of my determination came from the fact that my husband reads constantly. Not only is he somehow able to finish and entire book in one sitting, but he has the ability to discuss and relate details about it. His enjoyment spurred me on to partake in the joys of reading. I didn't want to be the mom that my children never saw reading unless it was a grocery list, blog, or e-mail. Books have such value in so many ways. There are excellent classics that I've never dipped into and I feel that it is my duty to educate myself.
Over the last year, I've tackled many classics and found myself in worlds and centuries that have both captured my imagination and taught me so much. This experience has given me a new appreciation for reading, even if my pace is much slower than my husband.
Yesterday, on Facebook, an old acquaintance from my high school posted a list of 100 books that the BBC thought was important. Their conjecture was that most people have only read 6 of these classics. As I went through the list, I kept counting... and counting. I had 35!!!!! How is that even possible! They expected 6 out of 100 and I had 35.
My husband and I discussed this and other great-books lists last night. I do hope to be a woman who is well-read and thoughtful in everything that I do read. My base-knowledge is fairly expansive due to an excellent high-school education at one of the top schools in my state. However, once I got to college, got married, and began popping out kids, I ceased to read. How could I have gotten this out of practice?
There were several books on the list that my husband had read that he believed I might enjoy. There were others that I had read and I encouraged him to read.
It got me thinking about what type of person I want to be. Books open a window into eras, lives, and thought processes that we might not normally think about. It is within these experiences that we learn and grow in a gentile way. Granted, I've learned many lessons through hard work, challenges, and pain. However, I wonder if I too can learn and grow through expanding my mind.
What a gift... to read... to devour... to enjoy a book. In addition, I see the fluff that sometimes are the only books that people read, it's sad to see beautiful works of literature take second string to books that hold little value.
So, as college classes start for me next week, I am saddened that I will not have nearly as many opportunities to read. However, I will continue to try to read continuously. In addition, I'm back in the habit of reading to the kids before bed. We've read so many good chapter books over the last two years, but the summer got away from us.
So... The Secret Garden is our next project.
What a joy to embrace the writings of authors that are considered brilliant and who have contributed to the list of what we consider classics.

Broken Fridge

A couple days ago, the fridge began complaining rather loudly. My husband knew that this was the beginning of the end for our fridge and each day we celebrated that it still was cold.
However, yesterday evening, I discovered that it was no longer cold. *sigh*
We immediately began the relay of food. We moved everything to a fridge in the basement that kinda-sorta works. We have been using this fridge for our stash of homemade soda. As I was pushing possibly 10 gallons of bottled soda aside to fit my yogurt, milk, and eggs, my thoughts turned to the positive. With a fridge in the basement, I might get more exercise. After all, I will have to run downstairs to get everything we need and then run back downstairs to put it back. The kids filled up laundry bins with food and I carried it down and squeezed the syrup, jam, and pork loin in with the soda. When we finally got everything from the fridge into the basement, I opened the upstairs freezer to discover that the ice was not even melted. huh... So, our freezer downstairs has some stuff, our freezer upstairs has some stuff... and the fridge downstairs is packed solid.
Anyone want some soda?
This morning as I was getting cereal for everyone, I walked up and down the stairs 7 times. Yes... 7.
I choose to think about this positively. Maybe I will simply lose some weight from all the running up and down the stairs. In addition, I deep-cleaned my laundry room yesterday (where the fridge is) and deep cleaned my oven and the upstairs fridge- so I don't have to clean a smelly fridge because I already did it. [I'm in deep-cleaning mode because my school starts again next week and I know that for another 1.5 - 2 years, I will be more worried about power points and projects than deep-cleaning.]
Honestly, I could use some good luck right now. Nothing else can break... we've had too many things break on us recently. Jobs need to start coming our way. We need to sell the boat.
That's just where I am today. A little frustrated and muddled, but remembering that I need to stay positive. Maybe I can lose 5 lbs before the fridge is fixed?

Couponing

I'm not normally a couponer. I tend to grocery shop with my list in hand that's filled with necessary ingredients for a week+ worth of meals. Consequently, on Sunday when I get the paper, I will go through it and figure out which meats are on sale. Then, I flip over to foodnetwork.com and find recipes that correspond to what I have in the house and what I intend to purchase. Once I have my recipes printed out or figured out, I will start compiling a list of groceries. Then, after I look in the pantry and determine which staples are running low, I have a completed shopping list.
Coupons are sometimes a part of the list, but more than likely... coupons are an afterthought.
I will try to print out coupons on coupons.com and sometimes I will clip the coupons that I know we will use. Then, they often are left on the counter and I'm couponless.
Yesterday, I saw a woman who has a blog called http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/ on Twin Cities Live. She was inspiring. There was a deal for General Mills Cereal that with coupons from online and in circulars plus the sales, she was getting everything for free. So, I went to her website and printed out coupons from coupons.com. Then, as I was compiling my shopping list and adding ingredients for Pad Thai, Mexican Pizza, Meatloaf, and Maple Glazed Pork Chops, I realized that Wednesday is double coupon day.
So, I decided to try it. I went through all the work of clipping, printing, and compiling my coupons. Then, this morning, I dropped off Cecelia at the bus stop and headed to Rainbow. Of course, once we were in the parking lot for Rainbow, I realized that I had forgotten my list [very necessary]. So, I went into Rainbow and used 5 coupons (because they only double 5 coupons), then headed home to get my list. After putting away my first batch of groceries, I had already saved over 25$.
We went back to Rainbow and I knew the kids were almost at the end of their allotted good grocery shopping behavior. As we finished with the list and handed over another 10 coupons (3 of which I found as we went on top of the products I was purchasing), the savings was $32. So, I feel pretty good... I saved over 57$ and managed to do it all with three children. As I was checking out for the second time, Jack was climbing on the car portion of the cart. He was definitely done. *sigh*
At least it's done. Now, I have more than a weeks worth of groceries and several meals ready to be prepared. I feel accomplished :) I don't know if I will become a couponer, but it was a fun experiment.

Potty Training

Washing pee soaked floors + extra laundry loads + stinky underware + lots of bathroom time = potty training

Yes, indeed we are potty training our youngest. After four children, you would think this would be a breeze, but of course these days are filled with the same amount of messes and challenges as with each child. On a positive note: Jack is doing wonderfully. He has been the easiest to potty train thus-far and I'm grateful that he is the last one in the line. When we are completely done with potty training I believe a cake or party is in order. After all, this will be the end of the diapering era for me. I'm excited!

Potty training a boy is different from the girls in so many ways, but the most significant is the fact that the penis tends to stand up or out instead of into the toilet. Consequently, a mother's chief worry beyond getting them on the toilet in time, is to ensure that the penis is pointed the proper direction. Just because you made it to the toilet doesn't mean that you won't have a pee soaked bathroom.
Jack has finally got the handle of holding his penis down, but still asks on occasion that I "point his peanuts". Sometimes we are without the extra padded chair and I need to hold him on the toilet and point his penis. Yesterday, I was pointing it down and then I was startled as my hand was not in the proper position and the pee was flowing through my fingers. Lovely! lol
Jack and I giggled as he finished peeing and I washed my hands. At least it got into the toilet :)
This morning, he woke up and said he had to go potty and I immediately took him to the bathroom. It was then that I discovered that he was dry!!!! He made it through the entire night without an accident! What a joy :) We celebrated this morning with pancakes (Jack's choice).
He is making such great strides. I'm so proud. We've had our share of accidents and mishaps, but he's been doing awesome. Within these 3 short weeks he's managed to have several days without an accident and now one night. In addition, I've stopped putting the diaper on him when we go out. We've gone hiking, grocery shopping, errand running, and to the park with only underware. He's done perfectly. I can see the finish line. We are almost done! Celebrate with me :)

Teacher Appreciation

I've always had respect for teachers, but now I appreciate them all the more. Yesterday, as Bella and I were doing our homeschool work for Math, we hit a snag. The concepts might seem easy to me, but for her they just weren't clicking. We lined up the chairs in the kitchen to make a train. We were working on the terms: "First, Last, in Between, First, Second, Third, etc." Now, if I would ask her which was first, last, between... she had it right. Unfortunately, switching terms on her seemed to mess her up. We would add more chairs and when I'd ask where the third one was, she would forget that this term asked her to count the cars in the train and would immediately go for the last one. In addition, when we had a very long train the numbered terms would get lost in the "between" section.
After working for quite awhile in the kitchen, I started to wonder how exactly I could help her to understand that the terms were different and thus she needed to be alert in order to figure out what I was asking of her. Finally, as I was making my bed and thinking about how to get the concepts across, she wandered into the room. I told her to lay all my pillows out on the ground and she began jumping from pillow to pillow. Soon, it clicked and she suddenly had it. Then, when we were picking up Cecelia from school I had her work on the steps. I made her explain to me her process and soon she had a handle on it.
I have to admit, homeschooling is rewarding, but sometimes I am puzzled as to how to get a concept across. Sometimes going over and over the same concept doesn't seem to help, so I have to switch it up and change the venue.
It makes me wonder how many teachers find themselves against that same wall. How many stand there in front of their class and think: "they are not getting this! What to do now!" Possibly with so many children, the hope is to get it across to most and then they have to move on. I am certain that if Bella had been in a classroom situation yesterday, she would have been overlooked. She guessed the proper answer several times without realizing it. She didn't get the process and when the train was expanded beyond 3 or 4, she would get confused. It would have been easy to overlook her inability to grasp the concept. I suppose this is one blessing to trying out this homeschooling thing. I can see when she gets it and make sure that she truly understands everything before moving on.
God Bless those Teachers!

Vacuum Rant

Two weeks ago my vacuum decided to die on me. Consequently, this mom of four has gone without for 2 weeks. I cannot even express properly how much I love vacuuming. It's not that the task itself is all that fun, but the result is fabulous. Whenever I clean a room, it is not clean unless it is vacuumed... so I'm going NUTS. Yesterday, I had the brilliant idea to use our wet/dry vacuum to get the carpets vacuumed. So, today I'm trying this experiment. The brilliance of my idea has somewhat faded as my back is protesting. I vacuumed 3 bedrooms and the hallway this morning. The hunchback stance is not comfortable, but the result is well-worth the pain.
There has got to be some way around all this, but short of having a windfall of money... I will be without a vacuum for awhile.
I need to figure out which vacuum to buy when the money does come, but I'm torn. I've heard excellent reviews from Dyson owners, but I worry that these two have a limited amount of run-time because the casing in plastic.
For some reason, vacuums only tend to last me a year. Granted, I do vacuum ALOT. Yet, it's frustrating to spend about $130 every year on a vacuum that will poop out at the most inopportune time. This is what first makes me wonder if it would be worth it to wait till I can afford a Dyson. Maybe someone will buy one of my paintings before my art show closes. Then, I can buy a vacuum.
In addition, I've found used Dysons on craigslist, but I worry if vacuums only really have a shortened life-span, if this will simply be another headache.
My mil told me to call a vacuum store and ask what they recommended for me. I will do this once we have the funds because right now it would be futile to shop around without having anything to show for my work.
So, I sit here with the knowledge that my living room, 2 more bedrooms, and playroom must be vacuumed and my back is trying to argue that it's too painful.
GRRRR!!!!!!
At least I will be able to claim that my home is clean once I get this task done. This might seem odd, but I do seriously only consider a room clean if I have finished the job with a vacuuming.
*sigh*

Graduation Rant

To the lady sitting behind the keynote speaker at my graduation ceremony:

This was a ceremony for the families of students/graduates who have worked hard for their degrees. If you disagree with the politics of the keynote speaker of a graduation, suck it up! Seriously, the eye-rolling was obnoxious! I cannot believe you would have the gall to roll your eyes and make faces as a professor of a college. How professional does that make you? Are you that petty?
The speaker did not have anything political to say as this was not a place for politics. He kept his words within the bounds of a normal commencement speech, why couldn't you keep your juvenile eye-rolling to yourself? Do you think that the audience that is forced to watch you on the stage will suddenly disagree with the keynote's politics because you chose to act like a 4 year old? What did you accomplish by your actions?
I hope that there is more respect for the office of our elected officials in a professional and academic setting. I hope I never get you for a professor in my upcoming classes for my next degree. I have lost all respect for you by watching the 5 minute eye-rolling and face-making session. Get over yourself... get over your politics... this was not the appropriate time.

It hit me

Standing in my black robe with the tassel dancing in front of my eye, I surveyed the festivities with mixed emotions. Then, as I sat there with my peers and considered what the last 2 years have meant to me, it hit me. The emotions rushed through me and tears welled up in my eyes. Yes, indeed, I had done it. I had set out to accomplish a goal and accomplished it. Possibly the reason why this has never hit me before is simply because the pomp and circumstance of a graduation ceremony is designed to showcase these moments and recognize these years. In fact, it not only hit me that I had somehow managed to be a mom of four and full-time college student, but I was extremely grateful that I have such an amazing family.
For only a moment, I felt it... I really felt it. As we were leaving the ceremony, my husband grabbed my hand and told me how proud of me he was. There I was, standing with the man that I love dearly and feeling blessed to have such amazing opportunities and the stamina to get it all accomplished.

Graduation Jitters

Excited, Confused, Uncertain, Accomplished, Muddled

These and many more words describe the mixed feelings I have about my graduation ceremony tomorrow. The butterflies are there as if to remind me that this too is an important moment, though my mind denies this reality and seeks to somehow frame my ceremony in the mundane category. Graduation seems somehow separate and distinct from those long afternoons huddled over my books or writing my presentations on my laptop. I remember those early morning log-ins where I participated in the class discussion and sent in my assignments. I remember those Fall afternoons when my husband gave me the opportunity to lock myself in my room to complete a difficult assignment without my four little ones bothering me.
These are the memories that come to mind when I think of school. I remember receiving my grades with confidence simply because I knew my scores on each and every assignment. I remember calculating my "A" prior to each end of class.
Yes, it is a big deal. I managed to attend college completely online (which is quite difficult for many who need a physical classroom). I managed to finish with a 3.95 GPA despite my obligations as a mother of four.
Note: even as I write this, my mind shifts back to the muddled uncertainty that seems to engulf my every accomplishment. Why can't I simply stand in my accomplishment and claim it? Most people assume that redheads are somehow super-confident and that I too am a leader-type that can stand positively in who I am. For the most part, this is true. Alas, with some things my confidence falters.
Then, I think of the reason why I agreed to attend my graduation ceremony: to teach my children that there is rewards for hard work. I hope this was taught in my daily efforts to achieve good grades and do my best. I hope this is taught to them as they saw me attack each class with excitement and chose to find value in every subject. Alas, as I stand on the brink of this ceremony that is supposed to symbolize the achievements that they witnessed, it's easy for me to downgrade my accomplishment. It's easy for me to compare myself with those that never took the path that I took. It's easy to note all my peers who went the traditional route and never had to study whilst managing a household, launching a career, and being a mother to four children. Possibly I envy what seems to be an easier road that might have been mine. Then, I remember that I value this so much. I worked so hard. I appreciate the life that I've created. I love my life. Mine might not have been an easier path, but it was full of blessings. My story is complicated and interesting and real. This is why I stand up and embrace my accomplishment because my story is authentic.
I like who I am.
I remember something that was told to me by a friend... she expounded on my motto: "Live Life Deliberately" to say: "Live Life Deliberately and WITH CONFIDENCE".
Confidence, that's always been my problem. It's easy for me to compare and consequently discount my accomplishments in the grand scheme of things.
Yet, these are precisely the moments when I need to stand tall as a woman and confidently claim my accomplishments.
Now the question at hand: what to wear??? I will have the classic robe that makes you look like some kind of priest. The oh so fabulous hat with tassel. So, I'm thinking comfortable. I'm just not sure. Do I go with a dress?

Celebrating with a King Cheesecake

Celebrating what we learned last night about Louisiana poses challenges for a family with multiple food allergies. Between my shell-fish allergy (a big problem for a state that celebrates it's culture through ethnic food dominated by crayfish, shrimp, mussels, and lobster) and Bella's gluten-allergy, we needed to find some way to modify our Louisiana evening to fit our needs. Consequently, Cajun chicken with rice is the meal of choice.
Bella and Cecelia recently asked to make a cheesecake and finished this little project a couple weeks ago. This was a big hit at our home and their love of cheesecake has begun. Consequently, Bella has been asking that I purchase the ingredients for another cheesecake production. Yesterday my trip to Cub produced the cream cheese and almonds (our choice for crust instead of crackers that Bella can't have). This morning, she asked if I had gotten the ingredients and if she could make it...
So, she began by getting the food processor out and working on the crust. She did everything herself, including cracking the eggs and measuring the lemon juice. She was so proud of her accomplishment. Then, we put a plastic medallion in the cake to signify the King Cake of Louisiana. Of course, we did not have a plastic baby and their suggestions of a plastic horse or matchbox car were rejected based on the sheer size of these objects. The kids are super excited to eat their Louisiana inspired meal and dive into their cheesecake. They are all discussing who really wants to get the medallion in their piece of cake. Sophia made homemade caramel from sweetened condensed milk this morning, so our cheesecake with caramel will be a decadent treat as we toast Louisiana.
I'm so proud of Bella. She did an awesome job. Of course, as I was preparing the impromptu dinner for my husband and his business associate, I cut into the cheesecake... so the picture reflects this :) We brought their picnic lunch to work, but we will enjoy ours after dinner.
I'm beginning to enjoy this learning experience. It's incredibly interactive.
Today we received: Maine, Georgia, North Dakota, Illinois, and Nebraska. They are discussing which one they want to learn about tonight. Alas, Sophia and I already have ribs marinating in a dry rub for tomorrow and if we are to continue our theme of learning and eating foods from each state (as this certainly has become a fun side-affect of learning about the states), I might need to pick Georgia. Certainly ribs are a part of Georgian heritage, right???? Maybe a nice peach sauce or possibly a peach BBQ sauce? hmmm... we'll see how this evening goes.
What fun to learn along with the kids about what makes the United States unique.

Choosing Happiness

It's funny, really, how we can compartmentalize our worlds in such thorough ways. I can delve into being a mom and love every minute as we complete our daily chores and accomplish our routine. In these moments, I will embrace these little opportunities to teach and connect with my children.
Then, when I start working on my artwork, I am somehow able to isolate all the other worries in my life and focus entirely on the task at hand. Although the worrys don't ever go away completely, I'm impressed how I can accomplish so many things without living under the clouds that sometimes accompany our circumstances.
So many of us have these clouds in our lives. Some are financial, some are related to family, and so many are a combination of varied circumstances and challenges that life has thrown us. Yet, rarely do these completely overwhelm life and make us unable to continue forth. However, it is very easy to dwell and sit in the muck of life.
One thing that I learned many years ago was how to pull myself out of that. I was able to somehow compartmentalize my life and its circumstances. I pushed through and often lived by the motto: "fake it till you make it".
It might not be completely authentic, but it works. In addition, there is no need to live within the negativity that one has to manage. The challenges will be there and will need to be dealt with regardless of how much we dwell on them.
So, today I am grateful, there are so many aspects of my life that I would like to worry about, but quite honestly, I CHOOSE happiness.

Louisiana

As a new home school mom, I am finding ways to incorporate learning that is both exciting and informational. In addition, finding free materials is of chief importance. So, I e-mailed every state's board of tourism over the weekend requesting information. As I sat there on the computer with Bella helping me, my husband stated that he didn't think we'd receive much. Alas, I knew he was wrong and I figured in the very least, we might get a nice brochure with pictures and general information about the states. [Of course, I also know that maps and lots of other educational material will soon be flying through the postal service to our little home for reviewal.]
This afternoon we received our first package in the mail. As Cecelia brought in the mail she said: "MOM! We got a package from LOUISIANA!!!!" So, after dinner we all cuddled up on the couch to learn. The packet contained a full-size map of Louisiana and a brochure that included the general information about Louisiana. It had the main stats (state bird, state flower, etc.) as well as general information on the state and history concerning the cities and region. It was odd though, they omitted Katrina. I would have guessed that this would have been quite important in the record for Louisiana. Don't you think?
The kids thought the information about the Pelican (Louisiana's state bird) was quite interesting. If there is no food, the Pelican will tear at it's own flesh to feed it's young. In addition, they want to make a king cake- or possibly a cake with a little plastic baby in it (we might find a gluten free alternative to experiment with). Jack loved the alligator pictures. The girls were impressed that Louisiana has the longest bridge that's suspended over open water. We calculated that the bridge which is 23.78 miles long is about as long as it would be if we put a bridge from our house all the way to grandma's house. They were impressed...
Overall it was a great night and an awesome learning experience. As they sat there listening to me read and looking at the map, they were asking questions and supplying their own thoughts along the way.
I love being a mom. I'm so excited to see what the mail will have for us in the next couple of days!!!!
What is your best teaching moment with your kids?
Which state do you think will have the best tourism packet?

mom drive on me

Yesterday evening, I was caring for my two nephews for a few hours while their parents went out. Isaiah is Jack's age (but 8 months younger) and they get along very well. I knew that putting two 2 year olds in the same room to sleep might not have been a smart idea, but I figured that having Jack talk to him was possibly the best distraction Isaiah would ever have from the knowledge that he wasn't falling asleep in his own bed.
So, I put them to bed together and the boys took their blankies and settled in.
After a little while, I went down and sat on the steps to hear their little conversation. Jack was doing much of the talking and Isaiah was responding every once in awhile. Then, they got on a topic that both of them got excited. [I literally was sitting on the steps typing their conversation]
Jack: I got owie cuz I bleedin'
Isaiah: you got owie? see that owie?
Jack: yeah, I see your owie, oh you have an owie right there
Isaiah: look it
Jack: this one is a big one, it feel better...
Isaiah: no it not feel better
Jack: this one is too big but it's ok
Isaiah: oh no
Jack: we got to cut it this piece, mom has to hold it and cut it
Isaiah: bite it and wipe it
Jack: and take it out and we just take it out and eat it, can you have it?
Isaiah: you can't take that
Jack: no rub it, don't pick it, I leave it alone
Isaiah: yeah
Jack: see this one? oh yeah, well mom drive on me
Isaiah: oh
Jack: mom give me fruit snacks

Then after a minute, Jack said: "bye bye" and ran out of the room. He caught me typing their conversation and said: "I see you mom!" lol
The most funny thing about this entire 2 year old conversation is the fact that telling tall tales starts so early! I was surprised to hear Jack's owie conversation turn into something that I might have heard grown men discussing (or at least teenagers). "Oh yeah, well this one time... I broke this because..." or "Well this fish, it was THIS big..."
What stories did you tell as a child? Do you remember any of the fantastic lies that you told your friends in an attempt to impress them?

Visual Learning Discovery

It's a unique gift to take on this homeschooling adventure with Bella. However, I realized something today that I never expected to discover this soon.
We were working on math and the lesson had her snap together Legos in sequence. I told her to make a tower of 2 and then 3.. she was to keep making new towers 4, 5, 6, ... 9, 10, 9, 8, .... 0. As we did this, I started to mix it up and I'd skip one and then go back up, we went up and down the number line several times. Each time, Bella quickly put together the Lego tower and was trying to complete it super fast. [The instructions told me to not correct her, but to simply let her work at it in her own way. It said that some kids would start over each time and count up again. Otherwise they might, as Bella did, simply add one to the stack or subtract one from the stack to make the final sum.]
Then, later in the day, we were walking out of Sam's Club with 5 items in the basket. I told her we have 5 items, what would happen if we took one away? She answered without hesitation: "4". Then, we mixed it up. I would ask: "If we have 5 items in our basket and 3 people, how many do we have?" "5 items in the basket, 3 people, 2 cars, and a shoe" "5 items, then I take 3 away" "3 car seats, 3 kids" Each time she would answer the word problem without hesitation. She was smiling with delight as she answered each of my questions with excitement.
Then, as we got into the car, I asked her: "What is 5 + 1?" She sat there in the backseat with her fingers, counting. Each time I would ask her: "If I have 5 items in my cart and I buy one more, what do I have?" she would answer without hesitation. Then, when I would ask her to add two numbers, she would hesitate and count on her fingers. A sum that took her two seconds to figure out when I put it in visual terms, was suddenly much more difficult when it was just numbers.

So, I discovered that Bella is a visual learner.

Now I must figure out ways to continue to make her learning experience fun and exciting while playing to these strengths. Any ideas? Do you think this might have been the reason why she did not like learning at school? Possibly this is the reason why she never liked Kindergarten?

Running to the Bus Stop

This morning at about 7:30 I had the bright idea that we could walk to the bus stop. Note: her bus is scheduled to come at 8:08am. Not a problem... right? Well, I didn't realize how far it was. We started walking at a brisk pace around 7:36 after everyone got their shoes on and Cecelia grabbed her backpack. Soon, we were walking down the path and enjoying our walk as the girls lamented the fact that we did not take our bikes. Then I looked at my watch and we were at 7:53 and I knew we were close to missing it. We still had the boardwalk to cross and I started to worry if it was two boardwalks that we had to cross. When we got to the end of the boardwalk and were ready to take a left to walk down the street, we were at 8:00 and I saw the bus round the corner. I told her girls to run....
We made it after a little running and Cecelia got on the bus just in the nick of time. So, I guess we need to start out a little earlier if we are going to make it to the bus on time at a walking pace. We practically ran/walked the entire way there and still barely made it.
After Cecelia got on the bus, Sophia said: "Mom, can we WALK home???" lol I told her we would take our time walking home and look for birds. She was satisfied with this and for the rest of the way home, we took our time and smelled the roses along the way.
We made it home at 9:15.
Then, homeschooling began and our day once again moved into routine. *sigh* My great ideas are not always brilliant...

Canning Satisfaction

There is something so completely satisfying about canning. I'm not sure if it's simply because it takes us back to our roots or because you see the results as you work. Regardless, I've quite enjoyed this project in a special way. My family has a big tradition of canning. My dad makes salsa every year and I've seen my fare share of pickles, sauces, jellies, and jams processed in my childhood home. So, as we embarked on this journey, I found myself remembering those days of chopping and processing salsa.
In addition, it is extremely satisfying to have a project that my husband and I worked together on. We would have our jars all set up and warm. Then, as my husband would stir the pot and time the jelly, I would prep everything else. We work together very well together and soon we had a sort of rhythm to this entire process. Of course, there was occasionally a little call to take the little man to the bathroom, but for the most part today went off without a hitch.
So, here I am completely relaxed after all our hard work with our jars sitting on the kitchen table overnight.
We've made applesauce, apple butter, sugar-free apple butter, pepper jelly, wild-plum jelly, and plum-apple jelly.... and today we completed: more applesauce, blackberry applesauce, Habenero Jelly, Thai red pepper/habenero/red fresno pepper jelly, and one that is filled with the seeds. Hopefully the last one will knock my dad's socks off. [He loves hot stuff- which I believe might be because his sense of taste is almost entirely gone- but regardless he likes everything HOT.]

Found Jack on the Steps

Tonight, I was walking through the hall when I found this....

I know that every kid goes through random stages and for mine there is this stage where they seem to never stay in their bed. I remember each one of them having a perfectly clean and comfy bed and each one would be found in a hallway, on the floor, in our bed, or in other random places throughout the house. It never makes alot of sense because quite honestly it would seem that the kids would be so completely uncomfortable that sleeping elsewhere would be out of the question.

Regardless, I believe my youngest, Jack, has finally topped all the girls. He was found this evening sleeping on the steps... not at the bottom mind you, but halfway up. I simply had to take a picture before I carried him back into bed. *sigh*

I must remember this. I hear so often from my dear friends that I need to soak up these moments and embrace the times when my children are young. So, here I am... soaking it up :) *cheers* to all the parents out there who have similarly found their children in odd places and wondered how, why, or simply shook their head at the improbability of it all.

Where is the oddest place your kid was found? Am I the only one with kids that will randomly sleep anywhere but their beds around the 2-3 yr range?

Graduation-smaduation

After I had four children and navigated all sorts of challenges that adulthood threw my way, I decided to go back to school. So, for the last 2 years, I worked online to obtain my degree. My intention is to complete my degrees by the time that my youngest (Jack) is ready for Kindergarten. Therefore, I completed my AA in Business last spring and took the summer off from school (after not having so much as a break for 2 years- this became much more necessary) . I am going back for a bachelors in Marketing on September 29th... so my life will soon be thrust back into school mode.

When I graduated in the spring and received my diploma in the mail a couple weeks later, I was happy and celebrated as most do (sleeping and reading all the books I've been dying to get to). Then I received a notification about a graduation ceremony. Now, since I'd done my degree entirely online, I don't really have lasting connections with my classmates and therefore an actual ceremony seemed pointless. Alas, my husband argued that I had worked hard (and I had) and it was important to acknowledge this with a little more than a box from the mailman. In addition, he stated that our children need to see the fruits of my labor. They need to experience what it is that I worked so hard for. They need to grasp in even the slightest bit that hard work pays off, especially when they saw me work so hard on homework and papers for so many years. Education is important... period. They need to value the work that they put into their studies and capture the passion that we have for education. If my example says anything to them, it is about how I value learning and approach my life.

After a little deliberation, I decided to attend graduation and thus went about registering and ordering my garments. I could have 8 tickets, so I took all 8 because I didn't know who would come and didn't want to short-change myself.
Now, it is a week from graduation and I don't know if it's even worth it. My family is going to be out of town and we didn't want to take Jack and Sophia (because a 3 hour ceremony with a 2 and 4 year old didn't seem like the smartest move). In addition, I'm not even sure that anyone else in the family would like to come. Granted, I haven't really pushed them on this one. In fact, right now my in-laws are dropping one of their kids off at Princeton for college and thus are out of town. They will be home before long and then I will broach the subject with them. However, I don't know if they would like to come and/or if they might be able to take our two youngest.

So, I am feeling a little like this whole graduation thing is not worth the effort. I've already got the diploma and now I'm having second thoughts about going through with the ceremony.

Maybe it's just my own uncertainty. Is it really worth it? Does anyone go to their ceremonies? It's just a tiny degree in the grand scheme of things... does it really matter?

I suppose I must go now that I've actually spent the money, but I wonder.... I need to get some confidence... Why can't I simply stand in my accomplishment and be proud of it?

Perfectly Boring Dates

We cared for my two sisters all last weekend and thus felt confident that we could ask mom and dad to take our four for one evening this weekend. Well, tonight is the night.... Most people would spend the evening having a fabulous date. For example, going out to a nice restaurant and ordering my favorite indulgences including excellent cheese, tuna steak, and chocolate. Then after this possibly a movie or dancing with a night cap at home that would include ... well you know.
My agenda for this evening is pretty much rest. There will be (that other thing) *wink*, but honestly... I'm ready to simply relax. This week has been nuts and having it follow on the heels of a weekend where I had 8 people in the house and buckets of apples to process, well that just makes tonight a night to relax. In addition, I still have several gallons of apples sitting in my kitchen that I'm boycotting right now. I'm so tired of processing applesauce and apple butter. I will do more... but not today. Today, I boycott processing food.
I will pick up Cecelia from school and bring the kids and their overnight bag. Then, I will drive to moms and drop them off. After this, the only obligation that I have is to go to my art-opening. I don't expect a huge turnout. I never got invitations out to my contact list, nor did I market it too well. Consequently, I will be there to answer questions and/or enjoy a moment with the friends that can make it. I know I should have made more of an effort with my art show. However, my energies as they are and my summer as it has been, I did what I could do.
After this (which will end promptly at 8pm because for some reason no one needs coffee past this time at Dunn Bros), I plan on relaxing with my husband. No food plans, no going out plans, just relaxing plans. Oh and I almost forgot, the most important part... sleeping in!
Yes, I will admit it, I'm totally boring. Maybe my husband will think of something fabulous to do. Most likely he will have something. He's nice and spontaneous like that. However, if he has nothing planned, I will not be frustrated because really all I want is to rest and to go to sleep early... and wake up LATE! [Late for us tends to be around 7:30am]

What is the most boring date plans that you had, yet the evening went perfectly and/or was exactly what you needed?

Writing the number 5

Today I realized that I learned how to write the number five wrong. Yes, I know this revelation might be possibly the most exciting thing you've read today, and you will most likely continue to think about it all day because quite honestly it is quite astounding. Alas, I was stunned as I was teaching Bella her math lesson, when I read the directions for writing the number 5. [Note: 1st grade Saxon Math begins with fairly easy concepts and one concept is writing the numbers again.]

Here is how she is supposed to write it:

Start at the top of the handwriting paper and go down halfway then over and around... then pick your pencil up and start at the top of the part that you just wrote and make the cross part. I know the book is much more eloquent in how they describe the writing of the number 5, but as I sit here this evening I don't really want to get it out and write it exactly. So, if you can picture how you write the number by my description, you are set.

I always have written the number 5 without picking up my pencil and thus starting on the right hand side of the number, going across, then down, then around.

As I discussed this difference with my husband we considered the fact that many children write their 5's backwards. In addition, sometimes 5's turn into a strange sort of S. Then, when we are called upon to write both numbers and letters in conjunction, it might become confusing. Thus, although the writing of the number 5 with this new way of doing it might take a little longer, it also will eliminate the confusions.

hmmm.... I wonder what else I may have learned "wrong".
So, seriously this was quite possibly the most important revelation of the day and I'm quite content with that. Homeschooling is becoming kind of enjoyable... even if what we might be learning surrounds writing numbers.
How do you write your number 5?

need a bedtime

I need to impose a bed time for myself. Last night my husband and I got sucked into watching the next season of Dexter that we received from Netflix. So, our bedtime was somewhere around 12:30am. Then, the wake up call around 6 came too early and I've been dragging all day. My coffee addiction did help, but honestly... I'm not cut out for the late nights :) I know that makes me totally boring, but I function much better when I'm well rested.

Morning Silence

Yes, I know it is before 6am as I write this and I'm aware that I was up well before this. In addition, I acknowledge that the first day of school is not nearly as big of a day for me than for my children. However, in my defense, I must state that not only am I super excited, but I had to get the quiche in the oven so that it would be ready for the early morning breakfast hub bub. So, as I sit here with my feet on the fire place, sipping my latte, I bask in the quiet.
The first day of school was always a day of excitement for me. I remember counting down the days as Cecelia has done this year. The uniform was carefully folded or hung in my room so that I would be nearly ready once I got up. My backpack was ready to go and my shoes and socks were sitting patiently for me at the door. The excitement of heading outside and waiting for the bus was almost too much for me to handle. I would put my hair up into something extra special and ensure that everything was in its place before I embarked on the adventures of a new year in school.
So really, I'm just reliving my childhood when I watch my girls get excited like this.
Today, Cecelia has to get to the bus stop by 8:10am. Bella will be home schooled this year and we will begin today's lesson after the drop-off. In addition, we have about 100 lbs of apples to process. I finished 3 pints of apple sauce last night and the apple butter is sitting in the crockpot- simmering down. So, our day will definitely be filled with plenty of things to do.
As I sit here before all the craziness of the day descends upon our home, I'm grateful for so many things. My latte, for one, is going to make most of this morning possible and the pot of coffee that is ready to brew for my husband will possibly hold me through the rest of the morning. I'm so grateful that my husband and I have the energy to handle processing fruit that we've found and picked ourselves. It's become such a wonderful project and I'm so excited to have canned goods to share and use. I'm grateful for the school year and hope that this next year of homeschooling will prove positive.
There is nothing like an early morning cup of yummy with silence to bring out the grateful. What are you grateful for?

Projects and Adventures

I've realized something over the last couple of weeks, my husband and I are quite perfectly matched in an odd way. We take on projects with a frenzy and often our projects tend to morph into something far bigger than we ever expected. In addition, we seem to encourage each other in our little "projects" and soon they become adventures.

For example, my family has a tradition of making homemade root beer. Over the summer my dad made several batches for our summer vacation and this got my husband interested in making homemade soda. We started by purchasing the necessary tools and educating ourselves about the process. Soon, we were making root beer, gingerale, cream soda and sarsaparilla. Then it morphed into much more. We decided that we not only loved the process, but also quite enjoyed the results. In addition, with a gluten allergy in our home, we decided to try to make some gluten-free sodas. Therefore, we started with a recipe for homemade root beer (without using an extract). First, gathering the ingredients was a bit difficult because the only place we could find them was either online or at the brewing company. Second, we realized that most traditional root beers were made with roots from fairly obscure plants. Then, as we started putting the ingredients together, I believe the wintergreen did not quite ferment. Consequently, our first batch tastes more like a mead than anything else because the recipe called for honey as the sweetener. So, it's back to the drawing board with that one. We will continue to brew our own sodas because we do enjoy it. However, this little project has definitely morphed into a life-long process. I think for Christmas we might make a couple "Christmas only" batches for gifts. My thought is a combination of cranberry soda, orange soda, and possibly a very gingery gingerale... and maybe some cran-orange or maybe even a cran-ginger soda? If we have several different varieties, we could give out little six-packs with our gifts to business-associates, friends and family. What do you think?

Another example of our craziness is our recent obsession with canning. My mother-in-law has a special place that she likes to pick wild plums. We were invited on a picking adventure about 4 days ago and ended up with a 5 gallon bucket of wild plums for our own processing. Then, my husband had the brilliant idea to make plum jelly (not jam- but jelly where it is clear and pretty) as gifts for Christmas. So we embarked on a canning adventure. First, we pitted pounds and pounds of plums and put them in the food processor. Then, in order to get the juice out, we put the cooked pulp into flour sack cloths and squeezed the juice out. Of course, this is not quite perfect, so we did this process once more in order to make sure that there was only the clearest of juice. After a weekend's worth of work, we made 4 batches which puts our count somewhere around 35 or so jars of plum jelly. As we were doing this, my husband wondered if pepper jelly might also be a great gift during the holidays. So, we made a batch of habenero/red fresno pepper jelly this evening.

I know... kind of nutty.... a little frenzied to be doing all this with 4 kids running around. Alas, it's a good sort of frenzy. It's all about doing things as a family and accomplishing something. Our adventures end up bringing us together as a family and somehow we all end up in a positive mood after all our work.

So, what do you think about our Christmas offerings this year? Do you think it will be good?
I was wondering about making a couple different batches of spiced nuts too...

Updates

The last couple of days have been extremely hectic. First, Jack became ready to potty train. Consequently, my days of hanging out in the bathroom with Jack and teaching him how to point his penis into the toilet have only just begun. Thankfully he is catching on better than any of my girls did. I can hardly contain my pride. I'm almost done with diapers! Can you believe it????

Then, I hung all my artwork which was quite a project, but thanks to my mother-in-law who helped me, it's all up :)

In addition, we decided to pick a bunch of wild plums. I had a 5 gallon bucket of plums to work through. I have 5 1/2 cups of juice that we strained out overnight.... so jelly is my first priority today.

On top of all that, I have my 2 younger sisters to care for all weekend because it's my mom and dad's anniversary weekend.

So, right now I'm just riding the wave and trying to get it all done.

Happiness is Confidence

I just got the call from Dunn Bros that I can finally hang my pieces on their wall. Then, I got home and the mailman brought my business cards. It is all coming together!
Tonight is going to be a crazy evening with the Back to School night at Cecelia's school and hanging all my artwork. However, I'm completely thrilled and excited to attack this evening with energy.
There is something about finally getting my work on the wall that always seems so wonderful. The past couple of weeks I've been worrying and rethinking every piece. In addition, I find myself feeling less that adequate concerning all my art. Sometimes the thoughts tend around the: "am I good enough?" or "why the hell did I even embark on this art adventure". Then, I remember the good that being an artist has been for me. I try to claim my role in the art world and stand by my work with pride. It's always a struggle right before a show to be confident in who I am and what I do.
However, I find that once I am actually hanging my artwork, I gain my confidence back. It all falls in place and I can stand proudly before my walls of work and embrace who I am with positivity.
Honestly, I'm happy today. Partially because I had a wonderful afternoon lunch with my mother in law and sisters in laws at Sunsets. We gathered to have a women's lunch before my sil goes off to Princeton. There is something special about marking these last moments of summer as a family.
*sigh*
Good day!